Meet Jay

Growing up, Jay Sidie watched his parents work hard, play by the rules, and treat their neighbors with respect, just like families across Kansas. Jay grew up in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in the Red River Valley. Jay’s father – Donald Sidie – was orphaned as a young boy during the Great Depression. At age 12 he hitchhiked 516 miles to North Dakota in search of a better life. Donald went on to become a decorated WWII Air Force veteran and a career-long U.S. Postal Service employee. Jay’s mother Naomi raised three children while earning her spot as the head of the pediatric unit at the local hospital. To this day, Naomi is a strong female role model who has ingrained in Jay a deep understanding of the sacrifices that hardworking mothers make every day.

While attending Red River High School, Jay excelled in track and field and was named the North Dakota Athlete of the Year. He earned a track scholarship to the University of Minnesota where he was a four-year varsity letterman, placed sixth at the Big Ten Track & Field Championship, and graduated with a degree in Agriculture Business Administration. When Jay was not studying or at the track, he worked at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange to put some money in his pocket.

Jay’s work experience and knowledge of agricultural business secured him a job as a commodity trader at Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM). Within five years, he became a Vice President at ADM and moved to Kansas City to head their office at the Kansas City Board of Trade. Jay’s determination led him to earn an MBA in Finance while working full time. As a 13-year member of the Board of Trade, Jay was on the forefront of the electronic trading evolution, and he became recognized as an industry leader. After a successful tenure at one of the Midwest’s largest energy commodity companies, Jay’s entrepreneurial drive led him to start his own business based on the Midwestern values of hard work, fairness, and honesty. Jay believes we need public servants who are guided by these same values – public servants who will fight for the middle class, ensure that seniors can retire with dignity, and create an environment for small businesses to grow and generate good-paying jobs.

Jay is married to Ingred Sidie, the love of his life and a successful working mom who started her own award-winning advertising company. Jay and Ingred share the joy and responsibility of raising two daughters while running their own successful businesses – an experience that has made Jay a fierce advocate for women in the workplace, ensuring equal pay for equal work, and fighting for quality and affordable education. Their daughters Eva Belle (14) and Lola Ray (11) attend local public schools, which sadly are being crippled by reckless budget cuts.

After decades living in Kansas as a successful business owner and innovator, Jay is as far from a career politician as you can get. He has never begged for special interest donations or chased the next taxpayer-funded perk. The truth is that Jay never planned to run for Congress, but he is fed up with watching Kansas’ economy and school system crumble under the disastrous decisions of politicians with zero business experience. That’s why he is running to bring independent, commonsense leadership to Kansas’ 3rd District.